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Japanese Wood
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 Japanese Handwork Boxwood Wood Carving Netsuke "si mian fuo tou" ★★★★★  US $2.05
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 Japanese Handwork Boxwood Wood Carving Monkeys and elephants ★★★★★ US $.99
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Here are some more information for Japanese Wood:
The primary structure of a Japanese garden is determined by the architecture that contain it; that is, the framework of enduring elements such as buildings, verandas and terraces, paths, tsukiyama (artificial hills), and stone compositions. It is ideal to set in small areas or places without enough light or ventilation required for a traditional garden.
There is a wide range of Zen thought in the Japanese garden. Here are some key elements as examples:
Gates (torii), fences, straw ropes, and cloth banners acted as signs to demarcate paces.
Bridges(hashi), passing over the bridge was analogous to passing from one world to the next. As Zen influence came into the forefront, bridges took on the more Taoist meaning of passing from the world of man into the world of nature, a move from this plane to a higher one
Water (Mizu) Buddhism always considered water the most apt metaphor for human existence, springing up, gathering strength in its downhill race to disappear calmly into the sea (reborn again as rain). In ponds in the garden, it creates "negative" space in the garden where nothing else resides.
Plantings. Although Zen actually decreased the plant palette when it arrived, still there are a few Zen ideas in the plantings. Large bamboo are often found in temple gardens as the canes are a perfect example of the principle of mushin or "empty heart" (the empty heart provides strength through flexibility). Plums are a recurrent Zen theme, flowering without leaf, often while snow is still on the ground (symbolizing resilience and rebirth). Pine is known as mutsu, a sound-alike for the word for 'waiting', so it is set in the garden as a symbol of strength and patience
Shrines were more of a mental construct than physical emplacements, a place that existed in the mind instead of a place that could be seen. The shrine is a setting of spirit. It is also a place where humans and spirit meet.
Sand or gravel represents water. Raked or not raked, that symbolizes sea, ocean, rivers or lakes.
The act of raking the gravel into a pattern recalling waves or rippling water has an aesthetic function. Zen priests practice this raking also to help their concentration. Achieving perfection of lines is not easy. Rakes are according to the patterns of ridges as desired and limited to some of the stone objects situated within the gravel area. Nonetheless often the patterns are not static. Developing variations in patterns is a creative and inspiring challenge.
Stones are the major elements of design in Japanese garden. They are considered more important than trees to the Japanese, perhaps due to the strong desire for eternity and stones represent the eternal elements in nature. In Japanese garden design, stones are used in combination with other stones, or sand to imply a natural scene or to create an abstract design. The shapes of natural stones have been divided into five categories called five natural stones. The Japanese used the characters of wood, fire, earth, metal and water to represent stone elements, and are applied to five classes of stone shapes:
- Taido: wood. Tall vertical. Implies high trees. Also called body stones, placed in the back of a grouping.
- Reisho: metal. Low vertical. Implies the steady and firmness of metal. Often grouped with tall verticals. It is sometimes called soul stones.
- Shigyo: fire. Arching. Branches that shape like fire. These types of branches called stone atmosphere and peeing stones. Often placed in the front and to one side of other shapes.
- Shintai: water. Flat or horizontal. Called level base stones or mind and body stone. Usually used for harmonization in rock groupings.
- Kikyaku: earth. Reclining. Often known as root or prostrate stones. Usually placed in the foreground to create a harmony appearance.
The message in Zen Garden is that every divided area remains representative of the whole of nature; the fence helps us to recognize the division and the garden should remind us of the whole. The gates in fences are very much like the bridge in deep meaning; the phrase "to go through the gate" is a metaphor for becoming a monk.
Transition between one state of existence and the next.
Mariana Barrios is a licensed architect in Argentina, and a LEED Accredited Professional. I worked with several prestigious firms in Buenos Aires, gaining experience in a wide variety of projects. At http://www.architectityourself.com, we realize the importance of a sustainable green design and its options for architects and home owners. People all over the world are realizing the need for the conservation of natural resources, looking for designs and solutions that could help our environment remain green and sustainable to the next generations. Through http://www.architectityourself.com, we will be sharing ideas and concepts that contribute to the health of our planet. RENEW. REUSE. RECYCLE.
Japanese Maple Trees And Spring Frost Damage
March 9th
Many trees and plants, including Japanese maple trees are susceptible to frost damage, especially early in the season when leaves are tender and new.
I am writing this article on Japanese maple trees and frost damage on March 9th. Today the high temperature here in central Virginia is a balmy 78 degrees Fahrenheit! And yet literally a week ago it was snowing with a record daytime low of only 10F.
Yes it's late Winter/early Spring and this is the sort of crazy daily temperature swings you can easily experience. Needless to say the sap is rising in our plants and buds are visibly swelling on our Japanese maple trees. At this rate, even if temperatures drop to the usuaal norm in the 50sF it's only a matter of days until the leaves of some of the early maples start to emerge.
Examples of early cultivars of Japanese maple trees are:
As welcome as these harbingers of Spring are to see in our gardens there's a risk we run and a potential price we pay for this early show.
It doesn't take much for old man winter to reassert himself one last time (or two) and plunge us back into night-time frosts.
I have some pictures of trees looking nice with ice formed on the Japanese maple tree branches, but the result is often catastrophic for the plant.
You might be fortunate to have a slow thaw and the tender leaves may just survive, but you can't be sure. If you find you have blackened, dry and crispy looking remnants of leaves you've got frost damage.
Sadly the tree may not survive this hit. The Spring surge of stored energy went into opening the buds and unfurling the leaves. Now the tree relies on photosynthesis to feed itself. Without these first leaves, there may not be enough unopened buds left or energy stored to start growth off a second time around.
If you find the branches and even the tree trunk are brown you may have lost the tree. using your fingernail gently scrape the bark on the branches and trunk. If you see green, live looking wood you may still be ok. But if all you see is brown dead wood, that's a bad sign.
Here are two things to do:
1. Watch the local weather forecasts until you reach your area's time when you can be fairly sure you will stay frost free. Until then, be alert and ready to protect your Japanese maple trees. At the garden center you can get a woven or spun fleece-like blanket to drape over your trees. You can try to protect like the Florida
citrus growers do by spraying with water and hope this takes up some of the cold. These are not guaranteed to work, but you'll be better off than risking doing nothing.
2. If you feel like your tree still has a chance of hanging on, you can spray with a "tonic". I like to use a proprietary super-concentrated "reviver". You can find details at:
If all else fails and you do lose the tree, we'd love to hunt around the nursery and find a great replacement for you.
Happy gardening online and in dirt
About the Author
Ken Alston is a green thumbed British-American gardener, maple-aholic and nurseryman who provides gardeners and fellow Japanese maple tree enthusiasts with valuable advice, information and hard to find Japanese maple trees, seeds and seedlings at http://japanese-maple.com.
http://japanese-maple.com
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How do I form wood into a very large circle?
I want to build a moongate for my Japanese garden. The gate is basically a very large circle, tall enough to walk through and not bump your head. I can build the base with rock or concrete but the other 90% of the circle has to come from bending the wood. Any help would be appreciated.
You could build a form. Then cut very thin pieces of wood. and laminate them over the form. Lots of work. The other option is to draw the size you want. Then use two boards for each side. Cut one longer than the other. Cut each end at a slight angle like 10 degrees. Work your way around. Till you have something like a big octagon. Then cut the circle shape out of this. Use plenty of glue. You can use screws to hold it together and then use plugs to seal the screw holes. You can look for a gate or woodworking company to build it. I would make it for you and ship the pieces. Lol
"Fashioning Kimono" Exhibition at the Birmingham Museum of Art
Birmingham, AL (WIAT)- BMA curator Don Wood and Alexa discuss the fascinating new Japanese show at the Birmingham Museum of Art, "Fashioning Kimono." The exhibition opens Saturday, July 31st and is free to the public.
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